Fortuna Exchange: Solar in Willits

Friday, April 10, 2009

Solar in Willits

A while back Mayor Madrigal of Willits told me they were working on getting information on their solar projects up on their website. Thought I'd have a look see how that was coming. And what fun! Besides information, there are two animated pages showing the energy being produced and were it is going. The links to the solar array animations are at the bottom of the page. Of course it only works during daylight. When I checked one was producing over 200% and one 300% of demand. The Weather Channel shows Willits right now as mostly cloudy, 52 degrees.

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New tank or use Vancil Reservoir?

--The 5 million gallon Vancil reservoir has 4 million gallons of unused storage. It is up the street from the proposed tank. In Fortuna’s southeast there is an identified need for storage, but no proposed projects.

--The proposed 2 million gallon tank was sized only to meet current demand. With 4 million gallons of unused storage, Vancil will easily meet current and future growth needs in the north part of town.

--Built before the 1964 Christmas flood, Vancil was part of a water development program for a growing city with 5 wood products manufacturing plants. There is no evidence that it was ever intended as emergency storage.

--The City requested and was told there are no regulatory obstacles to using Vancil.

--The Water Bonds are not a legal obstacle to using Vancil, Fortuna is not required to build the proposed tank. The City Council can and has changed the 2006 bond funded projects

--We were told the water rate increase was to borrow money (sell bonds) that would fund "urgent projects" required to fulfill the City's "current operational responsibilities."

--A pipeline between Vancil and downtown will make 4 million gallons available, providing the 1 million gallons of fire reserve storage recommended for down town. The proposed tank has only 1/2 million gallons for fire reserve storage.

--Using Vancil will make bond funds available for other necessary projects, allowing us to avoid an unnecessary rate increase.

--We can safely and reliably use Vancil for 50 years and spend less than the cost of the proposed tank, plus interest.

--The 50-year estimate was based on the January 2009 Staff Report’s estimate of $10,000/year energy cost. Three months earlier, in September 2008, the City requested and received information that the actual cost would be half that, $5,000/year. Based on this, we could expect using Vancil would be significantly less than the proposed tank.

I still do not know the motivation for the tank, but I suspect and hope that this is a simple case of good intentions and faulty assumptions resulting in a misguided project.

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Fortuna Exchange

Friday, April 10, 2009

Solar in Willits

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Estimated cost: $4,500,000

New tank or use Vancil Reservoir?

City Council contact information

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